Wu Shan

EVENT DESCRIPTION

gdm Hong Kong is pleased to present a solo exhibition by Wu Shan, featuring a curated selection of lacquer paintings and ink works created between 2012 and 2025.

Recognized as a leading figure in contemporary lacquer art in China, Wu Shan has devoted himself to an in-depth exploration of the medium’s visual language. For him, lacquer embodies profound cultural resonance and conceptual richness. Through the meticulous process of layering and the passage of time, his works trace subtle trajectories of emotion and thought, crystallizing into tangible forms.

The exhibition presents Wu Shan’s lacquer works alongside ink on paper pieces, emphasizing his disciplined study of line. Through repeated practice, he refines subtle variations into precise forms that connect both mediums. Xuan paper’s absorbent fibers allow ink to diffuse, creating soft washes and tonal shifts, in contrast to lacquer’s dense texture. Despite these material differences, Wu Shan’s exacting approach to line remains constant, rooted in long practice and deep understanding. Whether layering lacquer or softening ink, he responds with sensitivity and control to the interplay of time, matter, and line.

Against the excess and relentless pace of contemporary life, Wu Shan asserts minimalism as resistance. His refined lines and restrained palette embody patience and discipline, stripping away the superfluous to reveal only essential forms and emotions. For Wu Shan, minimalism is both a visual language and a lived philosophy, distilling experience into a refined expression that is at once pure and forceful.

ABOUT THE ARTIST / ORGANISER

Wu Shan 吳杉 (b. 1960, Hangzhou) graduated from the renowned Zhejiang Academy of Fine Arts (currently known as China Academy of Art) with a BFA in Oil Painting in 1982, and completed his MFA at the Art Institute of Chicago in 1986. Having returned to China in 2006, he currently lives in Hangzhou. Lightness and the turbulence of lines have been at the core of Wu Shan’s visual language for over two decades. The fine lines in his lacquer paintings are an embodiment of the artist’s life philosophy — to pursue a simple and authentic way of living. Wu Shan has exhibited widely in institutions across Asia and North America, including at the National Art Museum of China in Beijing; OCAT Contemporary Art Terminal in Shenzhen; Boxes Art Museum in Shunde, China; the Art Institute of Chicago; Hyde Park Art Center in Chicago; and the Snite Museum of Art in Indiana, USA, amongst others.